1141 Bloor Street West, 980 Dufferin Street, and 90 Croatia Street Combined Official Plan and Zoning Amendment Application - Preliminary Report

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1 STAFF REPORT ACTION REQUIRED 1141 Bloor Street West, 980 Dufferin Street, and 90 Croatia Street Combined Official Plan and Zoning Amendment Application - Preliminary Report Date: January 30, 2018 To: From: Wards: Reference Number: Toronto and East York Community Council Acting Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District Ward 18 Davenport STE 18 OZ SUMMARY This Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment application proposes a large-scale mixed-use redevelopment of the former Toronto District School Board lands located at the southwest corner of Bloor Street West and Dufferin Street, including municipal addresses 1141 Bloor Street West, 980 Dufferin Street, and 90 Croatia Street. The application proposes new streets, a new park, a community hub and a mix of uses including residential, retail and office. Six new buildings ranging in heights from 6 storeys to 47 storeys are proposed. There are 147,512 square metres of residential gross floor area proposed, 2,219 residential units and 23,495 square metres of non-residential gross floor area. A two-level below-grade parking structure will provide parking for the majority of the 923 parking spaces proposed, and for most of the 2,511 bicycle parking spaces. At-grade, there are 13 vehicle parking spaces and 116 short-term bicycle spaces proposed. This application is also subject to an application for Draft Plan of Subdivision to introduce two new roads and create new blocks (Application No STE 18 SB). 1

2 This report provides preliminary information on the above-noted application. City Planning staff are targeting the first quarter of 2019 for a Final Report, assuming the applicant provides all required information in a timely manner. A community consultation meeting is scheduled for February 7, City Planning staff will work with the applicant to address the issues identified in this report, in particular, reductions in height and density in order to achieve an acceptable form of development. RECOMMENDATIONS The City Planning Division recommends that: 1. The report dated January 30, 2018, from the Acting Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District be received for information. 2. Notice for the public meeting under the Planning Act is given according to the regulations of the Planning Act. Financial Impact The recommendations in this report have no financial impact. DECISION HISTORY This site is not subject to any previous development applications. Pre-Application Consultation A series of pre-application consultation meetings were held with the applicant and City staff from the City Planning division and the Social Development Finance and Administration division. The applicant also hosted an Open House drop-in for community residents in June 2017, at Bloor Collegiate Institute. Early on in the pre-application stage, prior to the land being sold by the Toronto District School Board's Toronto Lands Corporation, City Planning identified expectations for redevelopment of this large site to deliver including, but not limited to, retention of heritage assets, introduction of mid-block connections, a community hub, an affordable housing component and an on-site park. These expectations were then reiterated to the applicant after the land was purchased. City Planning also shared with the applicant comments regarding the scale of development that this site could support, and the importance for redevelopment to fit in with, and transition well to, the existing lowscaled surrounding area including appropriate setbacks from streets to enhance the public realm and streetwall heights that reinforce the existing lower-scaled main street character of Bloor Street West. 2

3 ISSUE BACKGROUND Proposal The application proposes to demolish the two-storey Bloor Collegiate Institute building located at 1141 Bloor Street West and incorporate the former Kent School building located at 980 Dufferin Street into the construction of a large-scale mixed-use redevelopment of the southwest corner of Bloor Street West and Dufferin Street. Residential, retail and office uses are proposed in multiple buildings organized on six proposed blocks demarcated by new roads and laneways. One of the newly-created blocks, located at the southwest corner of the site, is proposed to be a new public park. Two proposed new streets (one public street and one publically accessible private road) are proposed for the site in a north-south direction, connecting to Russett Avenue and Pauline Street respectively, both of which currently terminate on the north side of Bloor Street West. Two east-west pedestrian pathways are proposed, connecting Dufferin Street with the proposed new roads. Six buildings are proposed in this application, ranging in heights from 6 storeys to 47 storeys. A 30-storey tower including a 7-storey podium (Building C) is proposed on the corner of Bloor Street West and Dufferin Street, abutting one of two proposed pedestrian pathways to the south. South of the pathway, an 11-storey building (Building D) is proposed to abut, and cantilever over, the rear of Kent School. A 25-storey building including a 9-storey podium (Building E) is being proposed at the southeast limit of the site, at the corner of Croatia Street and Dufferin Street. The required on-site park dedication is proposed west of Building E and the proposed publically accessible private road, with frontage on Croatia Street. A 47-storey east tower and 44-storey west tower, inclusive of a 6-8 storey podium (Building B), are proposed north of the new on-site park, with frontage on both the new public street and the publically accessible private road. An 11-storey building including a 3-5 storey podium (Building A) is proposed north of Building B with frontage on Bloor Street West and abutting the east side of the new public street. A 6-storey building (Building F) is being proposed at the northwest corner of the site. Loading and residential and shared commercial/visitor parking spaces is proposed within two underground levels. Access to the below-grade structure for the proposed Type G loading space, four Type B loading spaces, and 899 of the 912 residential and shared commercial/visitor parking spaces is proposed from the new public street. A secondary car-only access to the two underground levels is proposed from Croatia Street. The balance of the proposed parking will be at-grade. Of the 2,511 bicycle parking spaces proposed, 2,395 spaces will be provided on the first below-grade parking level, with the remaining spaces located throughout the site at-grade. Please see Attachment 1: Site Plan and Attachments 2 through 8 for building elevations and application data information. 3

4 The land containing Brockton High School, located at the corner of Croatia Street and Brock Avenue, has been retained by the Toronto District School Board, and is not part of this development application. Site and Surrounding Area The site is located at the southwest corner of Bloor Street West and Dufferin Street. It is irregularly-shaped due to the fact that there are several parcels of land within this existing City block from Bloor Street West south to Croatia Street, and Dufferin Street west to Brock Avenue that are not part of this application. The site is 29,390 square metres in size, with 203 metres of frontage along Bloor Street West, 156 square metres along Dufferin Street and 180 metres along Croatia Street. There are two school buildings on the site Bloor Collegiate Institute located at 1141 Bloor Street West, which is a two-storey public high school building, and former Kent School, located at 980 Dufferin Street, which is a three-storey building now being used by various community groups. The remainder of the land is occupied by a northern surface parking lot, accessed from Bloor Street West, a paved open space at the corner of Bloor Street West and Dufferin Street, and a southern parking lot and a large green space abutting Croatia Street. The site is surrounded by the following uses: North: Bloor Street West abutting the northern property line, a 2-storey place of worship (Dovercourt Baptist Church), and Dufferin Station subway entrance. Farther west along Bloor Street West is a 14-storey retirement home building (New Horizons Retirement Home), followed by Russett Avenue, a 1-storey secondary Dufferin Station exit, a series of 2-storey and 3-storey mixed use buildings, and Pauline Avenue. Most of the buildings located north of the buildings along Bloor Street West are detached and semi-detached 2- storey and 3-storey residential buildings, except one 5-storey Bell building fronting Dufferin Street, north of the Dufferin Subway Station. South: Croatia Street, followed by a 2-storey place of worship (Croatian Catholic Church), a one-storey commercial building (KFC and Taco Bell), a surface parking lot, and the Dufferin Mall. East: Dufferin Street and a 2-storey bank building (CIBC), followed by a 3-storey apartment building, three 1-storey commercial buildings, and the 2-storey Gladstone Public Library building all of which are located on the south side of Bloor Street West. South of the CIBC building is a 1-storey commercial building (La Tortlleria) and a surface parking lot, and a series of 2-storey and 2.5-storey detached and semi-detached residentially-zoned buildings. West: A series of 2-storey and 3-storey mixed-use buildings fronting onto the south side of Bloor Street West, followed by Brock Avenue. Fronting onto the east side of Brock Avenue, south of Bloor Street West, are two pairs of semi-detached 2-storey residential buildings, and a 3-storey detached residential building. Farther south is Brock Crescent, 4

5 followed by Brockton High School, which fronts onto Croatia Street. Along the west side of Brock Avenue and farther west are 2-storey and 3-storey detached and semidetached residential buildings. Planning Act, Provincial Policy Statement and Provincial Plans The Planning Act guides development in the Province. Under the Planning Act, Section 2 sets out matters of Provincial interest that Council shall have regard to in making decisions under such Act, including among other matters, the conservation of features of significant architectural, cultural, historical, archaeological and scientific interest; and the promotion of built form that is: well designed, encourages a sense of place, and provides for public spaces that are of high quality, safe, accessible, attractive and vibrant. The Provincial Policy Statement (2014) provides policy direction Province wide on land use planning and development to promote strong communities, a strong economy, and a clean and healthy environment. It includes policies on key issues that affect communities, such as: - The efficient and wise use and management of land and infrastructure over the long term in order to minimize impacts on air, water and other resources; - Protection of the natural and built environment; - Building strong, sustainable and resilient communities that enhance health and social well-being by ensuring opportunities exist locally for employment; - Residential development promoting a mix of housing; recreation, parks and open space; and transportation choices that increase the use of active transportation and transit; and - Encouraging a sense of place in communities, by promoting well-designed built form and by conserving features that help define local character. The City of Toronto uses the PPS to guide its Official Plan and to inform decisions on other planning and development matters. The PPS is issued under Section 3 of the Planning Act and all decisions of Council affecting land use planning matters "shall be consistent with" the Provincial Policy Statement. The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2017) provides a strategic framework for managing growth in the Greater Golden Horseshoe region including: - Setting minimum density targets within settlement areas and related policies directing municipalities to make more efficient use of land, resources and infrastructure to reduce sprawl, cultivate a culture of conservation and promote compact built form and better-designed communities with high quality built form 5

6 and an attractive and vibrant public realm established through site design and urban design standards; - Directing municipalities to engage in an integrated approach to infrastructure planning and investment optimization as part of the land use planning process; - Building complete communities with a diverse range of housing options, public service facilities, recreation and green space that better connect transit to where people live and work; - Retaining viable employment lands and encouraging municipalities to develop employment strategies to attract and retain jobs; - Minimizing the negative impacts of climate change by undertaking stormwater management planning that assesses the impacts of extreme weather events and incorporates green infrastructure; and - Recognizing the importance of watershed planning for the protection of the quality and quantity of water and hydrologic features and areas. Like other provincial plans, the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2017) builds upon the policy foundation provided by the Provincial Policy Statement (2014) and provides more specific land use planning policies to address issues facing the GGH region. The policies of the Growth Plan take precedence over the policies of the PPS to the extent of any conflict, except where the relevant legislation provides otherwise. All decisions by Council affecting land use planning matters are required by the Planning Act, to conform, or not conflict, as the case may be, with the Growth Plan. Staff will review the proposed development for consistency with the PPS and for conformity with the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Official Plan Land Use The northern portion of the site fronting Bloor Street West is designated Mixed Use Areas on Map 18 Land Use Plan in the Toronto Official Plan. Mixed Use Areas permit a broad array of uses, including, but not limited to residential, office, retail and services, recreation, and cultural activities. The purpose of the Mixed Use Areas land designation is to encourage Torontonians to live, work, and shop in the same area. The remainder of the site located south of Bloor Street West is designated Neighbourhoods, which are made up of residential uses in lower-scaled buildings such as detached houses, semidetached houses, duplexes, triplexes and townhouses, and walk-up apartments no higher than four storeys. 6

7 Built Form Built Form policy states that new development will be located and organized to fit with its existing and/or planned context. It will frame and support adjacent streets, parks and open spaces to improve the safety, pedestrian interest and casual views to these spaces from the development. Policy states that new development will be massed and its exterior façade will be designed to fit harmoniously into its existing and/or planned context, and will limit its impact on neighbouring streets, parks, open spaces and properties by: a) massing new buildings to frame adjacent streets and open spaces in a way that respects the existing and/or planned street proportion; b) incorporating exterior design elements, their form, scale, proportion, pattern and materials, and their sustainable design, to influence the character, scale and appearance of the development; c) creating appropriate transitions in scale to neighbouring existing and/or planned buildings for the purpose of achieving the objectives of this plan; d) providing for adequate light and privacy; existing and planned contexts the existing context of any given area refers to what is there now; e) adequately limiting any resulting shadowing of, and uncomfortable wind conditions on, neighbouring streets, properties and open spaces, having regard for the varied nature of such areas; and f) minimizing any additional shadowing and uncomfortable wind conditions on neighbouring parks as necessary to preserve their utility. To further reinforce the importance of new development fitting with the existing surrounding character, Policy states that new development will be massed to define the edges of streets, parks and open spaces at good proportion. Taller buildings will be located to ensure adequate access to sky view for the proposed and future use of these areas attachment 9 provides an extract from the Official Plan's Land Use Plan Map 18. Heritage Heritage conservation is discussed in section of the Official Plan, which provides direction on the conservation of Toronto's significant cultural heritage resources. Policy states that Heritage Properties will be conserved, consistent with the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada, as revised from time to time and as adopted by Council. Policy discusses proposed alterations, stating that development, and/or public works on or adjacent to, a property on the Heritage Register will ensure that the integrity of the heritage property s cultural heritage value and attributes will be retained, prior to work commencing on the property and to the satisfaction of the City. Where a Heritage Impact Assessment is required in Schedule 3 of the Official Plan, it will describe and assess the potential impacts and mitigation strategies for the proposed alteration, development or public work. Policy states that new construction on, or adjacent to, a property on the Heritage Register will be designed to conserve the cultural heritage values, attributes and character of that property and to mitigate visual and physical impact on it. 7

8 New Neighbourhoods Building new neighbourhoods is discussed in Section 3.3 of the Official Plan. The application is creating a new urban community with the introduction of new patterns of streets, development blocks and open spaces to connect it with the surrounding fabric of the City, a mix of building types, a range of residential units and land uses, a new community focal point to provide services and a new public park. This application will be reviewed against the Official Plan's Building New Neighbourhoods policies. Implementation Interpretation of the Official Plan policies is discussed in Section 5.6, which provides guidance on the understanding and interpretation of the Official Plan. Policy 1, in particular, indicates that the Official Plan should be read as a whole to understand its comprehensive and integrative intent as a policy framework for priority setting and decision making. Further, Section 1.4 indicates that the Official Plan is a comprehensive and cohesive whole, and that for any individual part to be properly understood, the Plan must be read as a whole. The Official Plan can be accessed at: Zoning The site is subject to former City of Toronto Zoning By-law , and is zoned both Mixed Commercial-Residential (MCR T3.0, C1.0, R2.5) along the Bloor Street West frontage and zoned Residential (R4 Z 1.0) on the southern portion of the site. The height limit for the MCR zoning is 16.0 metres, and the height limit for the residentially-zoned area is 10.0 metres. See Attachment 10: Zoning. The site is not subject to City-Wide Zoning By-law Site Plan Control The property is subject to Site Plan Control. An application has not yet been submitted. City-Wide Tall Building Design Guidelines In May 2013, Toronto City Council adopted the updated city-wide Tall Building Design Guidelines and directed City Planning staff to use these Guidelines in the evaluation of all new and current tall building development applications. The Guidelines establish a unified set of performance measures for the evaluation of tall building proposals to ensure they fit within their context and minimize their local impacts. The city-wide Guidelines are available at These guidelines will be used in the review of this application. Section of the Official Plan discusses city-building, stating in Policy that implementation plans, strategies and guidelines express Council's direction and, as such, advance and support the vision, objectives and policies of the Official Plan. Urban Design guidelines are specifically intended to provide a more detailed framework for built form and public improvements in growth areas. The Tall Building Design Guidelines serve this policy intent, helping to implement Chapter 3, The Built 8

9 Environment, and other policies within the Official Plan related to the design and development of tall buildings in Toronto. Growing Up Design Guidelines In July 2017, Toronto City Council adopted the Growing Up: Planning for Children in New Vertical Communities Draft Urban Design Guidelines, and directed City Planning Staff to apply these guidelines in the evaluation of new and under review multi-unit residential development proposals. The objective of these guidelines is that developments deliver tangible outcomes to increase liveability for larger households, including families with children at the neighbourhood, building and unit scale. These draft guidelines provide guidance on the proportion and size of larger units recommended in new multiunit residential developments. The draft guidelines can be found at: Tree Preservation This application proposes the removal of several City-owned and privately-owned trees. Urban Forestry is currently reviewing the application. Reasons for the Application An application to amend the Official Plan is required to permit the proposed nonresidential retail use, and height in excess of four storeys within the Neighbourhoods designated portion of the site. A portion of the site will also be designated Parks. An amendment to former City of Toronto Zoning By-law , as amended, is required to allow for the non-residential uses within the residentially-zoned portion of the site. Amendments to the applicable performance standards of the By-law for both the Mixed Commercial Residentially-zoned and the residentially-zoned portions of the site are also required for the proposed development including, but not limited to, maximum permitted height, density, setbacks and parking. COMMENTS Application Submission The following reports/studies were submitted with the application: - Archaeological Assessment - Contaminated Site Assessment - Energy Efficiency Report - Heritage Impact Statement - Hydrogeological Report - Noise Impact Study - Pedestrian Level Wind Study - Planning Rationale 9

10 - Public Consultation Strategy - Servicing Report - Stormwater Management Report - Sun/Shadow Study - Tree Preservation Plan - Toronto Green Standard Checklist - Vibration Study A Notification of Complete Application was issued on October 16, 2017, advising the applicant that the application has been deemed complete as of September 22, Issues to be Resolved The application has been circulated to City divisions and public agencies for review and to request comments, the following issues will need further review and will need to be addressed by the applicant. Staff will work with the applicant to address these issues identified in this report, and others that may come up as part of the review process to arrive at an acceptable proposal. Intensification City Planning is reviewing the scale of development being proposed in this application, and the need to fit in with, and transition appropriately to, the surrounding low-scaled residential context to the north, east and west of the site and the predominantly lowerscaled mixed-use building context along Bloor Street West. The proposed large-scaled development will need to demonstrate that it can satisfy these criteria. City Planning staff will review this application for conformity with applicable Provincial legislation to determine the proposed development represents an appropriate level of intensification for the site, and for conformity with the policies of the Official Plan to ensure new development respects and reinforces the existing and planned physical character of the surrounding area. Housing A total of 2,219 residential units are proposed, comprised of 70 bachelor units (3%), 323 one-bedroom units (15%), 472 one-bedroom plus den units (21%), 415 larger oneberoom units (19%), 558 two-bedroom units (25%), 236 two-bedroom plus den units (11%) and 145 three-bedroom units (7%). The Draft Growing Up Guidelines provide direction on how new multi-unit residential development can better address a diverse range of households at various stages in the housing life-cycle and encourage buildings to include a range of unit sizes to support Toronto's growing population. The Guidelines identify ideal unit sizes for two-bedroom units (90 square metres) and three-bedroom units (106 square metres) with a development providing a minimum of 15% of the total number of units as two-bedroom units and a minimum of 10% of the total number of units as three-bedroom units. Through the application review process, City Planning staff will work with the applicant on revisions to the proposal's unit mix and unit size to better respond to the Guidelines. 10

11 The provision of a range of housing units (size and bedrooms) and affordability is an objective of the Official Plan. Currently, the proposal does not meet the objectives of the Growing Up Draft Urban Design Guidelines. As such, City Planning staff are not satisfied with the proposed sizes of the units or the proposed percentage of 3-bedroom units. City staff will continue to work with the applicant to include an affordable housing component to the project. Heritage The application proposes the retention and incorporation of the Kent School building into the design of the redevelopment, while the Bloor Collegiate Institute building is proposed to be demolished. Neither of these buildings is currently on the City's Heritage Register. City Planning staff, including Heritage Preservation Services staff will also evaluate both buildings in accordance with Ontario Regulation 9/06 to determine if they merit designation under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act, and if determined to be of such value, require the Bloor Collegiate Institute building's retention and incorporation into the redevelopment's design. Community Hub City Planning staff will assess the appropriateness of the proposed location of the community hub within the Kent School building and evaluate other potential locations on the site that meet accessible design standards. City staff will continue to work with the applicant to ensure the community hub is located appropriately on-site, and that is accessible to all. Section 37 Section 37 of the Planning Act allows the City to enter into an agreement with an applicant to grant a height and/or density increase for a particular project that is greater than the zoning by-law would otherwise permit in return for community benefits. City Planning staff will continue to work with the applicant on an acceptable form of development. Until such time, discussions regarding details of a Section 37 Agreement would be premature. Should the proposal proceed to an approval, a Section 37 contribution will be secured. Toronto Green Standard The TGS Checklist has been submitted by the applicant and is currently under review by City staff for compliance with the Tier 1 performance measures. Additional Issues Staff will be reviewing the proposal to addresses a series of additional issues and impacts including: - Shadow and wind impacts; - The appropriateness of the supply of parking and loading; - Servicing infrastructure to serve the proposed development; 11

12 - Any refinements to the site organization to ensure a functional, connected and high quality public realm; and - Connections to nearby transit Additional issues may be identified through the review of the application, agency comments and the community consultation process. CONTACT Kirk Hatcher, Planner Tel. No. (416) Kirk.Hatcher@toronto.ca SIGNATURE Lynda H. Macdonald Acting Director, Community Planning Toronto and East York District (P:\2018\Cluster B\pln\TEYCC \.doc) lm ATTACHMENTS Attachment 1: Site Plan Attachment 2: North Elevation Attachment 3: South Elevation Attachment 4: East Elevation Attachment 5: West Elevation Attachment 6: High Street East Elevation Attachment 7: High Street West Elevation Attachment 8: Application Data Sheet Attachment 9: Official Plan Attachment 10: Zoning 12

13 Attachment 1: Site Plan 13

14 Attachment 2: North Elevation 14

15 Attachment 3: South Elevation 15

16 Attachment 4: East Elevation 16

17 Attachment 5: West Elevation 17

18 Attachment 6: High Street East Elevation Official Plan and Zoning Amendment Application Preliminary Report 18

19 Attachment 7: High Street West Elevation Official Plan and Zoning Amendment Application Preliminary Report 19

20 Attachment 8: Application Data Sheet Application Type Official Plan Amendment & Application Number: STE 18 OZ Rezoning Details OPA & Rezoning, Standard Application Date: September 22, 2017 Municipal Address: Location Description: Project Description: 90 CROATIA Street, 980 Dufferin Street, and 1141 Bloor Street West PLAN 1068 PT LOT 9 LOTS TO 19 PLAN 25BY & 300Y PT LOTS 1 2 BLK A PLAN 1252 PT BLK A **GRID S1804 Official Plan & Zoning By-law Amendments to facilitate a mixed-use redevelopment of the site: 147,512 square metres of res. GFA (2,219 dwelling units); 15,780 square metres of retail/commercial uses; 4,900 square metres of office uses; 2,815 square metres of existing floor area within the Kent Senior Public School, which will be renovated as a community hub. Applicant: Agent: Architect: Owner: BLOOR DUFFERIN DEVELOPMENT LIMITED PARTNERSHIP PLANNING CONTROLS Matt Young Hariri Pontarini Architects TORONTO DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD Official Plan Designation: Neighbourhoods Site Specific Provision: Zoning: MCR T3.0 C1.0 R2.5, R4 Historical Status: Y Height Limit (m): 16, 10 Site Plan Control Area: Y PROJECT INFORMATION Site Area (sq. m): Height: Storeys: 47 Frontage (m): 203 Metres: 154 Depth (m): 156 Total Ground Floor Area (sq. m): Total Total Residential GFA (sq. m): Parking Spaces: 912 Total Non-Residential GFA (sq. m): Loading Docks 5 Total GFA (sq. m): Lot Coverage Ratio (%): 46.9 Floor Space Index: 5.81 DWELLING UNITS FLOOR AREA BREAKDOWN (upon project completion) Tenure Type: Condo Above Grade Below Grade Rooms: 0 Residential GFA (sq. m): Bachelor: 70 Retail GFA (sq. m): Bedroom: 1210 Office GFA (sq. m): Bedroom: 794 Industrial GFA (sq. m): Bedroom: 145 Institutional/Other GFA (sq. m): Total Units: 2219 CONTACT: PLANNER NAME: Kirk Hatcher, Planner TELEPHONE: (416) Official Plan and Zoning Amendment Application Preliminary Report 20

21 Attachment 9: Official Plan Official Plan and Zoning Amendment Application Preliminary Report 21

22 Attachment 10: Zoning Official Plan and Zoning Amendment Application Preliminary Report 22